EXCLUSIVE: WWE Quietly Released This Legend In April
This Hall of Famer was among WWE's personnel cuts back in April.
WhatCulture has learned that Jeff Jarrett was quietly released by WWE in April.
Per our source, the Hall of Famer has already been reaching out to other places for bookings, though he is still bound to a non-compete clause of unknown length. Whether or not WWE plans on bringing Jarrett back at some point is currently unclear.
2021 has been a year of mass releases for WWE, who have let go of dozens of wrestlers, office staff, and other employees, many of which have been attributed to "budget cuts". May was particularly brutal for those working behind the scenes, with the situation described as "a bloodbath" by one of PWInsider's Mike Johnson's sources.
Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April 2018, Jarrett's latest WWE run kicked off the following January, when he was brought in as a producer. He was a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match a few weeks after that and wrestled Elias on the 4 February episode of Raw (his first WWE bout in 19 years), before being promoted to a full-time role on the creative team that March.
Jeff's return to the WWE fold was notable, given his previously tumultuous relationship with the company stemming from his acrimonious jump to WCW in 1999. Vince McMahon famously "fired" him live on air after his purchase of WCW in March 2001, making it abundantly clear that he wouldn't be retaining his former Intercontinental Champion's contract following the buyout.
2002 then saw Jeff establish a rival promotion, TNA, with his father Jerry.
Jarrett's My World podcast with Conrad Thompson debuted to much acclaim this May, though its first trailer was released on 9 April.